Shoe form



Sept. 2, 1930.

w. J. E -WlTT SHOE FORM Filed Aug 24, 1929 jivev'z-zov' J WZZZJ? %Wdfan's @ZWIZ Patented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM J.DE WIT'I, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SHOE FORM (10., INQ, OFAUBURN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SHOE FORM Application filedAugust 24, 1929. Serial No. 388,106.

This invention relates to an improvement in a toe form adapted to beinserted into the toe of a shoe and adjusted to the proper amount sothat the material of that part of the shoe upper is plumped out in orderto give it the appearance which it would take when upon the foot of thewearer.

The object of this invention is to provide a shoe form comprising ahollow body of resilient material and a cross brace for connecting thewalls of such body and'by means of which the space between the walls ofthe body may be adjusted to expand or contract the form, one end of suchcross brace being pivotally secured to one wall of the body and theother end engaging in any one of a transversely extending series ofapertures 1n the other side wall.

Other objects will appear from a consideration of the followingspecification and of the drawings forming a part thereof and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, with parts broken away, illustrating oneembodiment of this 1nvention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are plan views s m lar to Fig. 1 of other embodimentsof thiszinvention; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6 -6 of Fig. 4.

The toe form embodying this invention comprises a body 10 of celluloidor other resilient material having side walls 11 and 12 which terminatein ball flanges 13 and 14 respectively and means engaging the side wallsfor expanding or contracting the form. The

various embodiments of the invention differ with respect to the meansfor expanding or contracting the form and hence the same referencecharacters will be applied to the body of the form throughout thespecification and drawings.

The walls 11 and 12 of the body 10 in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 areconnected by a cross brace 15. One end of the braceis pivotally securedby a rivet 16 to the flange 13 and the other end is bent back uponitself to form a loop 17 terminating in a forwardly extends above theflange.

extending portion 18 and an angularly proj ecting tongue 19. The loop 17extends over the upper surface of the flange 14 while the section 18extends below the lower surface (see Fig. 2). In the flange 14 areprovided suitable laterally spaced means with which the end of the braceengages. Such means may be a row of laterally spaced apertures 20 whichextend transversely of the flange and with any one of which the tongue19 of the brace 15 may engage. It will be noted that the curved end ofthe loop 17 bears against the curved joinder of the wall 12 to theflange 14 and that the tongue 19 extends into the loop 17 of the brace.Moreover, when the form is inserted in a shoe the portion 18 will extendbetween the flange 14 and the sole of the shoe so that the tongue 19will remain securely in the particular aperture into which it is placedbefore the form is in insorted into the shoe.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 3 differs from that just described in thatthe cross brace 25 terminates at each end in a loop 26, aforwardlyextending portion 27 and an angularly projecting tongue 28. Both theflanges 13 and 14 are provided with a row of laterally extendingapertures 29. The loops 26 extend over the upper surfaces of the flanges13 and 14, while the portions 27 extend below the under surfaces. Thispermits a further adjustment of the width of the form since both ends ofthe brace are adjustably and pivotally secured to the walls of theflange.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 the cross brace 30 is similar inconstruction to the cross brace 15 of the first embodiment but isassembled below instead of above the flanges 13 and 14. One end of thebrace 30 is pivotally secured to the flange 13 by a rivet 31 and theother end vcomprises a loop 32, a portion 33 and a tongue 34. In theflange 14 are provided a row of laterally extending apertures 35 whichare adapted to receive the tongue 34 of the brace 30. The loop 32extends below the flange 14 and the portion 33 The tip 35 of the tongue34 may be pointed as shown in Fig. 6 and projects through an apertureinto the loop 32 so that when the form is inserted in a shoe the tipwill act as a spur or sprag engaging the upper surface of the shoe soleand thus prevent the inadvertent removing of the toe form.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 5 differs from that shown in Fig. 4 insubstantially the same manner that the embodiment shown in 3 differsfrom that shown in Fig. 1. Thus the cross brace terminates at each endin loops 41, forwardly extending portions 42 and angularly projectingtongues 43. Each of the flanges 13 and 14 are provided with a. row oflaterally extending apertures I 44 which are adapted to receive thetongues 43 of the brace. The loops 41 and portions 42 extend below andabove the flange 14. The tongues 43 may be pointed as in the Fig. 4embodiment and in such cases projects through apertures into the loopsand engage the inner sole of the shoe, thus forming a further insuranceagainst slipping of the form out of position in the shoe after it hasbeen properly inserted.

While several embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed, I am not limited thereto since it will be understood thatother embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material and across brace connecting the walls thereof, one of said walls having aplurality of laterally spaced means extending transversely thereof withwhich one end of the brace engages whereby the walls are spaced apredetermined distance apart.

2. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material and across brace connecting the walls thereof, one of said walls having a rowof laterally spaced apertures extending transversely thereof with whichone end of the brace engages whereby the walls are spaced apredetermined distance apart.

8. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material and across brace connecting the walls thereof, said brace terminating at oneend in a tongue, and the wall at said end having a plurality oflaterally spaced means extending transversely thereof with which thetongue engages whereby the walls are spaced a predetermined distanceapart.

4. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material and across brace connecting the walls thereof, said brace terminating at oneend in a loop and atongue which projects into the loop and the wall atsaid end having a plurality of laterally spaced apertures through whichthe tongue may project into the loop whereby the walls are spaced apredetermined distance apart.

5. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material havingside walls provided with inwardly projecting flanges and a cross braceconnecting the flanges, one of aid flanges having a plurality oflaterally spaced means extending transversely thereof with which one endof the brace engages whereby the walls are spaced a predetermineddistance apart.

6. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material havingside walls provided with inwardly projecting flanges and a cross braceconnecting the flanges, one of said flanges having a row of laterallyspaced apertures extending transversely thereof with which one end ofthe brace engages whereby the walls are spaced a predetermined distanceapart.

7. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material havingside walls provided with inwardly projecting flanges and a cross braceconnecting the flanges, said brace terminating at one end in anangularly projecting tongue and the flange at that end having aplurality of laterally spaced means with which the tongue engageswhereby the walls are spaced a predetermined distance apart.

8. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material havingside walls provided with inwardly projecting flanges and a cross braceconnecting the flanges, said brace terminating at one end in anangularly projecting tongue and the flange at that end having a row oflaterally spaced apertures with which the tongue engages whereby thewalls are spaced a predetermined distance apart.

9. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material havingvided with inwardly projecting flanges and a cross brace connecting theflanges, said brace terminating at one end in a loop and an angularlyprojecting tongue and the flange at that end having a row of laterallyspaced apertures, the loop extending by one face of the flange and thetongue projecting through one of the apertures whereby the walls arespaced a predetermined distance apart.

10. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material havingside walls provided with inwardly projecting flanges and a cross braceconnecting the flanges, said brace terminating at one end in a loop, aforwardly extending portion and an angularly projecting tongue, theflange at that end having a row of laterally spaced apertures, the loopand forwardly extending portion above and below the surface of theflange and the tongue projecting through one of the apertures wherebythe walls are spaced a predetermined distance apart.

11. A shoe form comprising a hollow body of resilient material havingside walls provided with inwardly projecting flanges and side walls pro-

